Troll Hunting In Copenhagen: 6 Thomas Dambo Trolls in 1 walk
In the autumn of 2023 I went on a troll hunt around the south-west of Copenhagen. Not real trolls (sadly) but the beautiful works of Danish artist Thomas Dambo. While out on this adventure I got out and about in some fantastic ‘hidden gems’ in nature through some areas which I would otherwise never have visited.
I’ll tell you a bit about the artist behind the trolls before sharing my route and some snaps from the day.
Thomas Dambo and his fantastic trolls
Thomas Dambo is a Danish artist from Odense. He makes wooden trolls out of recycled wood, plastic metal and salvaged materials. Many of these are in Denmark but he has built trolls which are now located all over the world from South America to east Asia and Australia.
How many Thomas Dambo trolls are there?
From taking a look at Dambo’s excellent website, I can see that he is constantly adding new sculptures and receiving commissions for some amazing festivals and events across the world (16 new trolls in the last 4 years!). At the time of writing in winter 2024 there are 52 trolls listed on the fantastically named website Trollmap.com. In this article I’m just going to cover the 6 I was able to visit on my wanderings around south-western Copenhagen area.
My hunt to find 6 trolls in the Copenhagen area
I set out as a fresh-faced troll hunter, taking the overground public rail service (S-tog) from Copenhagen Central Station to Ishøj (check out my full map of the walk at the end of this article). From there it was a short walk southwards to the waterside, where I saw the beautiful ARKEN art gallery before heading west along the coastal path to catch sight of my first troll.
Oscar under the Bridge
Who is that trip trapping over my bridge?
Lurking under the bridge, his hand clasped around the railings is Oscar Under the Bridge (pictured, my own photo), created by Dambo as part of his “Forgotten Giants” series, alongside 5 others made in the outskirts of Copenhagen. The idea with this series was to create his trolls from scrap materials, driftwood and recyled goods, all hidden in a beautiful location.
Oscar was being clambered on by a gaggle of excited children, so I stopped for a quick photo with the troll before I continued on my way to the next troll…
2. Little Tilde
Heading northwards I made my way towards Vallensbæk Mose, a beautiful areas of marshland and quiet nature, with a lake beyond the pine trees.
Tilde had a peaceful nature to her as she peered out across the lake from between the trees (pictured, my own photo), so I joined her for a while, watching the dog walkers and cyclists go by.
3. Thomas on the Mountain
This troll was probably the hardest to find of all the ones on my troll hunt. The only reason for this is that I didn’t read the map properly!
I shot upwards to the very top of the hill (or ‘mountain’ in Danish!) without bothering to check the map, expecting Thomas to be at the top.
He was in fact chilling out further down the slope (pictured, my own photo), his long legs stretched out to take in the view out across the grassland and playing fields of Albertslund.
4. Sleeping Louis
From Albertslund I headed north west, feeling more distant from the busyness Copenhagen the further I went. Living in the centre of the city I was happy to see thick forests, meadows and marshes like this, only a short walk from my neighbourhood.
The next stop on my hunt was the lovely Louis, taking a little nap near a large campside on a small hill (pictured, my own photo). I shared the spot with the family, the youngest of whom were joyfully crawling in and out of Louis’ gaping, snoring mouth!
5. Hilltop Trine
From here I headed south, following the old ditch and ramparts which date from the end of the 19th century and now provide a lovely slice of green nature, running like a vein around the edge of inner Copenhagen.
I found the nature reserve (Quark Naturcenter) where Trine is located (pictured, my own photo), which has a small cafe, garden, lake and meadow - a lovely place to take kids on a summer’s day.
Hilltop Trine is one of my favourite trolls on this walk. There was something noble and majestic about the way she sits, back resting on the grass slope and looking out onto the quaint nature of Avedøresletten.
6. Lange Liv
Last but certainly not least is Lange Liv - my all time favourite of Dambo’s trolls - so far. I actually found Liv by total chance on a long half marathon run a few years ago.
Located on the tiny island of Skrædderholmen which lies between Sjaelland and Amager, Liv lies beside a beach (pictured, my own photo), gazing northwards towards Kalvebodeme and Valbypark. After meeting her and taking a quick selfie (pictured), I enjoyed a lovely solitary swim at the quiet beach.
Lange Liv was born during "Den Store Troldefolkefest", which is the name of the project that arose due to Covid-19 - which was created with the help of volunteers from people around Denmark.
My very own Troll Map (courtesy of trollmap.com) showing the 6 trolls I visited and a loose approximation of the route I took to see them. Central Copenhagen is indicated in the north-east of the map. Photo screenshot from my own trollmap.
I hope that you enjoyed reading about my trollhunt and are inspired to try it yourself, or to create your very own trollhunt.
I’d definitely recommend visiting Dambo’s website to plan your route and please share your photos and stories with me from your own adventures out in the beautiful nature that lies undiscovered on our doorsteps.
Happy hunting!
Exploring more of Scandinavia
If you want to get more inspiration of what to do and see out in nature, check out my guide to the Klampenborg park north of Copenhagen.
Or find out some of the best spots for wild swimming in Copenhagen, from purpose-build lidos to world-famous beaches. Thank you for reading!